Bio

As Co-Chair of Foley Hoag’s Capital Markets and Public Companies practices, John Hancock guides corporate leaders and their boards of directors through complex corporate financing and other transformative transactions, including public offerings, Rule 144A and Regulation S offerings, and mergers and acquisitions, particularly those involving public companies. He advises clients primarily in the life sciences and technology industries. He has decades of experience representing public companies across a full range of capital markets transactions, helping them raise billions of dollars through initial public offerings, SPAC business combinations, registered debt offerings, Rule 144A/Regulation S debt offerings, PIPE (private investment in public equity) investments, exchange offers, confidentially marketed public offerings and at-the-market offerings. John also has deep experience representing both buyers and sellers in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions transactions, particularly those involving stock consideration. He has helped numerous public companies grow their businesses through serial, bolt-on acquisitions and to execute more transformative, merger-of-equals transactions. As part of his ongoing public company representation, John regularly advises senior executive leadership and boards of directors regarding the evolving landscape of corporate governance, including not only new SEC regulations and stock exchange listing requirements but also the increasing expectations of proxy advisory firms and institutional investors. He has advised boards of directors regarding critical matters such as CEO terminations, executive compensation programs, proxy fights, shareholder proposals and corporate defensive measures. John is a contributing member of the American Bar Association Legal Opinions Committee’s Task Force on Intellectual Property Opinions in public offerings.